как тебе сказать

• КАК СКАЗАТЬ coll

[indep. sent or clause; Invar; fixed WO]

=====

1. Also: КАК ТЕБЕ (ВАМ) СКАЗАТЬ coll (used to express the speaker's hesitation or inability to answer a question confidently and specifically) it is hard for me to answer that precisely:

- how should (shall, can) I put it?;

- how can I explain?;

- left put it this way;

- let me see;

- [in limited contexts] I don't know if I'd say that.

     ♦ [Кручинина:] Вас любил кто-нибудь? [Незнамов:] Как вам сказать... Настоящим образом нет... (Островский 3). [К.:] Has no one ever loved you? [N.:] Hm, how shall I put it? Not really (3a).

     ♦ "Ну что? - положив трубку, она [прокурор] смотрит на меня с улыбкой, не предвещающей ничего хорошего. - Значит, въехали самовольно в чужую квартиру?" - "Да как вам сказать, - бормочу я, понимая заранее, что все объяснения лишни. - Не совсем в чужую и не совсем самовольно" (Войнович 3). "Well, then." Putting down the phone, she [the Public Prosecutor] looks at me with a smile that portends no good. "So, you moved into someone else's apartment without authorization." "How can I explain?" I mumble, knowing in advance that all explanations are superfluous. "Not exactly someone else's and not exactly without authorization" (3a).

     ♦ Ревкину показалось, что Голубев сказал не "с бабой", а "с бандой". "И большая у него [Чонкина] банда?" - поинтересовался он. "Да как сказать... - замялся Голубев, вызывая в своем воображении образ Нюры... - вообще-то порядочная" (Войнович 2). ...It seemed to Revkin that Golubev had not said "girl" but "gang." "And how big is his [Chonkin's] gang?" inquired Revkin. "Now let me see..." Golubev hesitated, summoning up Nyura's image in his mind. "...Pretty good-sized on the whole" (2a).

     ♦ Вконец раздобревший хозяин кинулся было в магазин за добавкой, но гость решительно перевернул свой стакан вверх дном: "Я... пас". - "Что так?" - "Папашка не любит, когда посреди работы". - "Строг?" - "Да как сказать. Строг не строг, а порядок любит" (Максимов 3). Completely mellowed by now, he wanted to run to the shop for fresh supplies, but his guest resolutely turned his glass upside down. "I pass..." "How's that?" "The old man doesn't like it in the middle of a job." "So he's strict?" "I don't know if I'd say that. He isn't exactly strict, but he likes things to be proper" (3a).

2. often это (ещё) - (used by the speaker to express his disagreement with or objection to the preceding statement) I cannot agree with that: I wouldn't say that; I wouldn't exactly put it that way; I wouldn't put it quite that way; I beg to differ (with you); that's what you think <he thinks etc>; [in limited contexts]

⇒ that's stretching a (the) point (a bit).

     ♦ "Задание несложное". - "Это как сказать, в нем есть свои трудности". "The assignment isn't that hard." 'That's what you think-it has its difficulties."

     ♦ Ну, а насчет мягкости приговора, так это еще как сказать (Марченко 2). То say that the sentence was mild is stretching a point (2a).